Group Members: Winston Yao, Jeremy Yeo, Thomas Lam, Nico Winata, Kendrick O’Keefe, Erwin

Assignment: Apologia Pro Poemate Meo Commentary

The poem “Apologia Pro Poemate Meo” was written by Wilfred Owen after he personally
experienced the horrors of the first world war. While this poem might take a more focused stand
towards some of the positive aspects such as the camaraderie between comrades, Owen still
manages to portray a negative image of war through the dehumanization of soldiers and the
exclusion of the audience. The title is translated from latin and it means “A defence of my poetry” as
Owen was well known to be passionately against war, hence, by showing the horrors of war to
readers and its effect on soldiers, he is able to defend his anti-war stand, a direct contrast to other
contemporary poets such as Robert Graves.

Firstly, it is important to note the historical context of the poem. Owen personally enlisted in the
army in 1915 and in 1917, he was caught in a shell explosion and was eventually diagnosed with
shell shock and evacuated to Craiglockhart War Hospital. This was an important step in his career as
during his stint there, he met Siegfried Sasson and gained much insight and tutelage from him. Owen
began passionately writing against war having experienced it first-hand and his strong stance can be
seen in poems such as “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and “Disabled”.

The poem begins with an ironic and thought-provoking line of “I, too, saw God through mud”. The
use of the word “too” lends the persona a stronger sense of authority as he is not the only person to
have experienced such an act. However, the act is ironic as readers struggle to imagine how the
persona may have seen God, someone divine and sacred in “mud” or sometimes referred to as
earth. On a literal level, such an act is impossible and perhaps Owen is asking readers to
metaphorically interpret this act as the traumatizing effect of war on soldiers so much to the point
where they imagine it possible. Next, he describes where he saw the mud on. “mud that cracked on
cheeks” suggests that the mud has been present for a long time, so much to the point where
moisture has left and all that remains is solid. This paints a rather dire image as we imagine the
scenarios in which the soldiers took part in, again, highlighting the negative aspects of war. Also, the
coining of soldiers as “wretches” could be a reference to their poor physical condition or how they
have committed atrocities such as killing. The next line highlights one of the few positive aspects of
war, the patriotism soldiers feel. “War brought more glory to their eyes than blood” suggests that
they felt that the honour of sacrificing and fighting for their country was more important to than
then physically harming their enemies. This paints a more humane side to the soldiers as we begin to
empathize at what they have gone through. However, the next line where soldiers get laughter from
war paints a horrific image of war as soldiers become so mentally disturbed or insane where they
can find laughter in acts of killing and suffering. Perhaps this is a reference to the huge psychological
and mental stress that they faced until they fail to see rationally the sad reality.

The next stanza then focuses on the soldiers feelings towards war. The line “Where death becomes
absurd and life absurder” paints a shocking image of war as death becomes absurd, incongruent and
this could perhaps be a representation of how the sanctity and value of human life is not protected,
where the human race wilfully kills and hurts another member. Thus, the very value for human life is
not respected to the point where “death becomes absurd”. The words “life absurder” is a
representation of the lack of meaning that soldiers have, as though they have lost the will to live and
even death seems like a more viable option. The next two lines reveal the reason and
dehumanization of them. “For power was on us as we slashed bones bare” gives readers the sense
that they are being controlled or manipulated by a higher order, perhaps referring to them carrying
instructions from their superiors or the government to kill or hurt the enemy. “Not to feel sickness
or remorse of murder” provides yet another shocking image of the soldiers, as they are told not to
feel any negative effects of murder. We are shocked as “murder” is the highest order of crime a
person can commit and the very notion that they can feel nothing is a testament to the extent to
which they have been dehumanized, where they do not feel the respect, sickness or remorse of
committing such an act.

The next stanzas focus on the camaraderie and unity soldiers find during the course of war which is a
deviation from Owen’s oeuvre. In stanza 3, he begins with the somewhat ambiguous statement of “I,
too, have dropped off Fear”, the use of “too” again lends the persona more authority as though he
was not the only one to have experienced such an act and he can be taken as the norm. The use of
the term “Fear” provides ambiguity as it could represent both the act of dying or killing someone
else. The capitalization of the letter “F” is used to personify Fear, increasing its status. The purpose
of such a line is to show the extent to which they have been dehumanized or desensitized where the
universal emotion of fear has been “dropped” or disappeared. “dead as my platoon” indicates a
sense of collectiveness as everyone is together, even in death, this has the dual effect of portraying
the gruesome effects of war as well as showing the unity and collectiveness of the soldiers where
they even die together. The line of “And sailed my spirit surging light and clear” could perhaps be a
representation of how his spirit has been lifted due to the collectiveness and unity amongst the
soldiers. “light and clear” could also be a reference to his conscience and spirit where he finally sees
the extent of what has happened and is no longer living under the illusions or propaganda provided
by war advocates. The next line of “Pass the entanglement where hope lay strewn” provides another
sad image of war. “the entanglement” is a reference to the barricades that soldiers put up to protect
themselves from enemy fire and pass it could be a reference to where they are shot by their enemy.
Thus “where hope lay strewn” refers to how soldiers have been shot death and their “hope lay
strewn”. This conjures a stirring image as we picture young soldiers who have lost their life and all
their future hopes in just one event.

The next stanza then presents words such as “oblation”, “seraphic” and “exultation” contrasted with
words such as “scowl”, “curse” and “foul”. The former set of words have positive, holy and saintly
connotations while the latter has negative connotations. This creates an oxymoronic effect and the
purpose is to once again highlight the humanizing effect of war as soldiers find joy in victory over
their opponents. However though their faces “Shine and lift up with passion of oblation”, the next
line mentions that “they were foul”. Perhaps this could be a reference to the foul intentions that the
soldiers possessed, due to the traumatizing effect war had on them.

The next stanza then describes the positive effects of war where camaraderie and friendship is
present. “I have made fellowships” is evidence of this. The next line “Untold of happy lovers in old
song” could refer to how the friendships he has made were beyond description or how they may
never be fully comprehended by other members of the public who have not experienced war
themselves. The next two lines then go on to describe how people should not follow the
conventional wisdom of how or what love is. “For love is not the binding of fair lips, With the soft silk
of eyes that look and long” is evident of how Owen thinks that the friendship and bond developed
through the course of war has a greater impact on him than romantic love. Thus, he is appealing to
the public to try to understand that the conventional wisdom or notion of love is not always true and
that sometimes, the mutual experiences and hardships face can create a more impactful experience
on people. Thus, Owen has shown that the camaraderie and friendships he has developed have been
one of the few positive aspects of war.

The poem then moves on to the harsh reality of war once again. “By Joy, whose ribbon slips” is a
reference to the ribbon which a soldier is awarded for bravery or courage. The ribbon is then
contrasted to “war’s hard wire whose stakes are strong”. This means that though you might get a
ribbon as an indication of your bravery or commitment to serving your country, war is like a gamble.
The “hard wire” and “stakes are strong” indicates that there are high risks involved and the odds of
winning are very “hard”. The cost of losing is potential death and hence, it is very apt to use the
analogy of a gamble to describe war. Owen then uses visual imagery to paint the cost of losing.
“Bound with the bandage of the arm that drips” paints the image of a soldier dripping blood through
a bandage. Hence, perhaps what Owen is trying to imply is that the cost of winning or just taking
part in the gamble of war is not worth the prize of the “ribbon”. The use of the words “Bound” and
“webbing” suggest that the soldiers are trapped or cornered the moment that they enlist. Hence, he
is trying to suggest that once you start or enlist, you have to take the gamble of war, there is no
other way out besides dying, injury or winning the ribbon, all in all, a gamble with major
repercussions.

The next stanza focuses on the bond and commitment of the soldiers. “I have perceived much
beauty/ In the hoarse oaths that keep our courage straight” suggests that he has found solace and
beauty in how people commit themselves to their country and thus display their courage. This could
perhaps be a reference to the strong human spirit that the soldiers possessed and Owen admired.
This indicates that not every aspect of war was negative and that there are certain elements such as
these that Owen finds worth celebrating. The next line of “Heard music in the silentness of duty” is
oxymoronic on the literal level as one cannot hear music in silence. Yet, taken on a metaphorical
level, music connotes a sense of peace and calm, thus perhaps the intended effect is to show
readers how he has found peace and solitude in the silent act of protecting and honouring his
country. Thus, to some extent, fighting for one’s country, represented by duty, can be honourable
and a source of pride. The next line is also slightly oxymoronic as one would struggle to find peace
when there are loud noises of “shell-storms”. The image of a storm is a striking one is we imagine
the magnitude and number of shells it would require to create such a vast and powerful image. This
also creates the image of uncertainty as one might get hit by droplets during the storm, thus, this
could metaphorically represent the uncertainty of living in war. The peace he is referring to could be
the sense of calm he finds when he accepts that there is a possibility of death or the dehumanizing
effect of war where he no longer cares about life and death as mentioned earlier, “absurd”. Also the
use of sibilant alliteration in “shell-storms spouted reddest spate” causes the line to be read with a
harsher tone, reflective of the harsh nature of war. Also, the reading of it could mimic the action of
shells emerging from the gun, creating a startling effect on readers.

The next two stanzas have a shift in narration where the persona addresses readers directly instead
of recounting his experiences. This shift in narration emphasizes the disconnection between soldiers
and readers as the persona believes that until they have experienced first-hand the true effects of
war, one cannot truly claim to comprehend it.
In the 8th stanza, the persona again describes the harsh conditions of war where it is likened to “hell”
and that readers cannot comprehend it unless they “share With them in hell”. The soldiers are then
described to live in a world which is “the trembling of a flare”. This is another apt analogy as a flare
can go out at any second indicating uncertainty, hence, it is implying that a soldier’s life is always at
stake and just like the flare, it can be extinguished immediately and there is always uncertainty
involved. “And heaven but as the highway for a shell” is indicative of how enemy fire can take away
someone’s life instantly and send them on the “highway” or journey to heaven.

The last stanza is a powerful and direct statement to the readers with “You shall not” repeated
thrice. The use of anaphora here creates a sense of repetition and importance as though the idea is
so important it has to be repeated. Furthermore, the phrase “You shall not” is a biblical allusion to
the book of Exodus where the Tend Commandments begin in the same manner. By phrasing the two
lines in such a manner, it lends more authority and conviction to it. “their mirth” and “think of them
well content” is what follows after “You shall not” and this creates a sense of disconnection between
the readers and soldiers as we struggle to comprehend their “mirth” and “well content” as we look
at the horrific conditions that they had to endure. “These men are worth Your tears” is a strong and
direct statement of how the people who went through war, sacrificed and are hence worthy of our
adulation and acknowledgement. The last line “You are not worth their merriment” is referring to
how we as readers, will never be able to comprehend their merriment and content that they find
through unity and the bond they develop over war. Perhaps what Owen is trying to convey is that
since we cannot comprehend their actions, we should not be too judgemental or critical of what
they have done.

Lastly, it is important to note the way in which the poem is structured. There are 9 stanzas and there
are 4 lines in each stanza. This creates a certain uniformity throughout and could perhaps be a
representation of the unity and bond that the soldiers had with each other. The first line of each
stanza is also notably 2 to 4 syllables shorter than their continuing lines. This is so as Owen wishes to
present the subject matter of each stanza first before elaborating on it. This resembles a court case
where the lawyer starts off with the case and then elaborates on the case matter.

In conclusion, Wilfred Owen has managed to convey the horrific conditions of war through the
physical conditions and the dehumanization of soldiers while at the same time, explore the strong
bond, unity and friendships developed through the course of war. Whilst doing so, he has urged
readers to rethink their common perception of war and love and to respect the sacrifices and pain
that the soldiers have had to endure.